China’s domestic tourism picks up – with a new green twist

Posted October 16, 2010 by Alex G

In Mark Graham’s late September South China Morning Post article, “On the inside track,” the author quotes a Chinese couple expressing their changing thoughts on tourism at home: “We want to explore [China] more and more; it’s something my parents’ generation could not do.”

The couple’s comments are reflective of a generational shift in Chinese travel. As the mystery, grandeur and beauty of China’s many diverse areas becomes increasingly accessible to its own people, the Chinese are choosing domestic travel over international – and at a rapid rate.

However, these tourists aren’t choosing cookie-cutter tour buses and factory shops – wealthy Chinese now want to explore their roots in an authentic, eco-friendly way, with customized ‘green’ travel.